Sound-producing toy



June 26, 1962 w M. SIRKS SOUND-PRODUCING TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.4, 1958 INVENTOR.

WALTER M. SIRKS June 26, 1962 M. SIRKS 3,040,474

SOUND-PRODUCING TOY Filed Dec. 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WALTER M. SIRKS' 3,4fi,474 Patented June 25, 1962 spaasm SOUND-PRODUENGTDY Walter M. Sirhs, 6038 W. 85th Place, Los Angelles 45, Calif. FiledDec. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 778,222 '7 Claims. ((31. to-52) Generallyspeaking, the present invention relates to the by radio from the firstman-made earth satellites, commonly called Sputniks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedsound-producing toy adapted to be controllably whirled through ambientatmosphere to produce an intermittent audible sound; said toy being ofexceedingly simple, cheap, and foolproof construction such as to beconductive to widespread use thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novelsound-producing toy of the type set forth in the preceding object, whichmay effectively simulate in appearance and in the sound produced, aman-made earth satellite, or the like, whereby to increase the interestfactor of the toy insofar as children are concerned.

Other and allied objects will be apparent to those skilled in the artafter a careful study of the accompanying illustrations, the presentspecification, and the ap- I pended claims.

To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to thehereinbelow-described drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of thesound-producing toy of the present invention wherein it is soconstructed as to simulate in appearance a man-made space vehicle of thetype com-v monly called a Sputnik and wherein the sound-pro ducingelement thereof is of a nature such as to produce an intermittent orinterrupted audible sound during whirling motion of the entire device ina manner resembling the orbiting of a man-made space vehicle; said soundresembling the intermittent beep, beep signal received by radio from thefirst man-made earth satellites;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional View through the embodimentof the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 with most of the length of thelongitudinal tensile member broken away for space conservation purposesand showing the device before the final clipping of the upper endthereof as viewed in FIG. 2 into a sealing and adhesive liquid adaptedto seal all of the holes in the hollow sphere and adapted to adhesivelyfasten same to the end of the sound-producing element;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a reduced-scale perspective view illustrating the whirlingoperation of the device by the hand of a child, or the like, whereby thedevice will travel in a manner resembling the orbital motion of thefirst manmade earth satellite and will simultaneously emit intermittentaudible sounds of the beep, beep type referred to hereinbefore;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary partially-broken-away perspective View similarto the right end portion of FIG. 1 but illustrating a slightmodification of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of aspect similar to FIGS.

1 and 5, illustrating the hollow spherical ball, or Sputsound-producingelement; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the upper portion ofFIG. 2 but shows the apparatus afterthe hollow spherical ball has beeneffectively sealed and cemented to the end of the sound-producingelement by dipping same into a rubber-base paint or the like.

It should be noted that the rubber base paint or other adhesive liquid,shown in exaggerated form at 14 in FIG. 2 and at 18 in. FIG. 7, is notdesignated by said reference numerals 14 and 18 in any of the otherfigures, nor is said rubber base paint or adhesive liquid shown in anyof said other figures in the greatly dimensionally exaggerated formshown in FIG. 2, even though it should be understood that said rubberbase paint or adhesive liquid is actually present in certain of saidother figures. Indeed, applicant. has elected to indicate in said otherfigures, by the proper reference numerals, the underlying structuralelements rather than said rubber base paint or adhesive liquid. This isdone for reasons of drawing clarity and is thought to be completelyclear in the light of the above explanation and the full and completeshowing, in exaggerated form, of said rubber base paint or adhesiveliquid at 14 in FIG. 2 and at 18 in FIG. 7.

The sound-producing toy of the present invention includes a hollowsound-producing element defining an interior chamber therein, saidsound-producing element being provided with a portion definingsound-producing aperture means into said interior chamber. In thespecific example illustrated, the hollow sound-producing elementreferred to above comprises a hollow longitudinal cylindrical elementdefining a hollow cylindrical chamber therein and consists of alongitudinal cylindrical section 10 of a metallic tube effectivelyclosed ateach end. In the specific example illustrated, said closing ofeach end of the longitudinal cylindrical section of metallic tube it? isprovided by a sealing enclosure plug 11, which is formed of elastomericmaterial and which is centrally longitudinally apertured as indicated at12 and which is inserted into the open end '13 of the tube It andelfectively cemented in said inserted relationship by means of asuitable adhesive material such as rubber base paint or the like,although not so limited; said adhesive rubber base paint being bestshown in FIG. 2 at 14 with its thickness greatly exaggerated for drawingclarity.

In the specific example illustrated, the closing of the other open end15 of the metallic tube 10 is accomplished by means of a closure membercomprising a man-made satellite-simulating member taking the .specificform of a hollow spherical ball 16 which is shown as being made ofplastic, although it may be made of any suitable material, which carriesan insert member 17, which may be made of cardboard, plastic, metal, orany other suitable material, projecting therefrom and adapted to beinserted into said end 15 of the tube It in the manner best seen in FIG.2, after which said parts are effectively adhesively joined together bydipping the entire spherical satellite-simulating member 16 and theadjacent end 15 of the tube l0 in suitable adhesive liquid such as arubber base paint or the like, as best shown in FIG. 7 at 18 with thethickness of said paint 18 greatly exaggerated for drawing clarity.

The hollow sound-producing element, which in the specific exampleillustrated takes the form of the longitudinal cylindrical element 10,includes a portion defining sound-producing aperture means, which takesthe specific formof the longitudinal slot 19 extending along the entirelength of the tube at) at one side thereof. Indeed, in the specificembodiment of the invention illustrated, said slot 19 is defined betweenopposed edges of the sheet of metallic material from which the tube isformed. It will be noted that the sound-producing slot 19 extends fromthe exterior of the sound-producing element 10 into the hollow interiorchamber 26 therein for sound-producing purposes to be described morefully hereinafter.

The sound-producing toy of the present invention also includes alongitudinal tensile means having a connection portion connected to thesound-producing element and having a manually graspable portionadaptable for use by a child in swinging said sound-producing elementthrough ambient atmosphere in the general manner indicated in FIG. 4whereby to cause rapid relative motion of the sound-producing element 10and the sound-producing slot 19 with respect to ambient atmospherewhereby to cause the chamber 20 and the slot 19 to effectively produceand emit intermittent or interrupted audible sound as a result of suchswinging or whirling movement thereof through ambient atmosphere. In thespecific example illustrated, the longitudinal tensile means referred toabove is indicated generally at 21, the connection portion thereof isindicated at 22, while the manually graspable portion is indicated at 23and carries a handle or gripping sleeve 24 thereon abutting a knot 25.It will be noted that the longitudinal tensile means 21, in the specificexample illustrated, takes the form of a flexible elastic longitudinalcord or string which rotatably extends through the longitudinal aperture12 in the closure member 11 at the end of the tube 10 nearest to thefree end 23 of said cord or string 21, and that the connection portionor end 22 of said cord or string 21 is effectively connected withrespect to the closure member at the other end 15 of the tube 10, saidclosure member comprising the hollow spherical ball 16, which haspositioned therein the knot 26 which is larger than the aperture 27 atthe bottom of the spherical ball 16 which allows the connection portion22 of the cord or string 21 to pass therethrough. In other words, thearrangement is such that the knot 26 cannot pass through the aperture27. It should also be noted that another knot 28 is tied in theconnection portion 22 of the cord or string 21 immediately below (asseen in FIG. 2) the point where it passes through the base part of theinsertion member 17 carried by the spherical ball 16, thus providing anarrangement wherein the two knots 26 and 28 effectively and verypositively connect the spherical ball 16 and the connection member 17together. It should be noted that the assembly of the apparatus of thepresent invention is accomplished by first inserting the free endportion 23 of the string or cord 21 (prior to forming the knot 25 andmounting the sleeve 24 on said free end 23) downwardly through the hole29 in the top of the spherical ball 16 and the aligned but smallerbottom hole 27, as viewed in FIG. 2, and through an aperture in the baseportion of the insert member 17. Then the knot 26 is tied in the cord 21and is of a size such that it can be drawn downwardly through theaperture 29 but will not pass through the aperture 27. Then the knot 28is tied in the cord 21 on the lower side of the base portion of theinsert member 17, as is clearly shown in FIG. 6 and also in FIG. 2. Thenthe insert portion 17 is inserted into the open end 15 of the tube 10with the spherical ball 16 effectively acting as a closure for the end15 of the tube 10, and the junction defined by the contact of the end 15of the tube 10 and the adjacent portion of the spherical ball 16 andalso the engagement of the insert member 17 with the correspondinginterior portions of the tube 10, is effectively adhesively fastenedtogether by dipping same into an adhesive liquid such as rubber basepaint, or the like, as shown at 18 in FIG. 7, with its thicknessexaggerated for drawing clarity. It should be noted that prior to thislast described operation, the closure 11 at the other end 13 of the tube10 had already been inserted therethrough and adhesively fastenedthereto by the adhesive rubber base paint 14 in the manner referred tohereinbefore, and the free end 23 of the cord 21 had been passedlongitudinally through the aperture 12 in said closure 11. It shouldalso be noted that the connection portion 22 of the tensile member 21has a projecting end 30 extending upwardly through the aperture 29, andthat additional projecting members 31 are mounted in similar apertures32, in a manner whereby the projections 30 and 31 simulate theappearance of antennae. The projecting elements 30 and 31 areeffectively fastened in the positions shown in FIG. 2 when the entirespherical ball 16 is dipped in the rubber base paint 18, as mentionedhereinbefore, which fills the apertures 29 and 32 and effectively sealssame while simultaneously firmly positioning each of the projectingmembers 30 and 31, as is cleraly shown in FIG. 7.

The apparatus just described can be operated by having a child grasp thehandle sleeve 24 and swing the entire device in the general mannerindicated by the directional rotative arrows in FIG. 4. This will causethe movement of the sound-producing slot means 19 and the connectedchamber 26 through ambient atmosphere to intermittently fill anddischarge air and produce an intermittent or interrupted audible sound.This sound may be modified as to frequency, type of interruptions, andpitch by adding to the sound-producing element 10 an external encirclingmeans, such as that generally indicated at 33, which effectively reducesthe overall open length of the sound-producing slot 19. In the specificexample illustrated, the element 33 takes the form of a piece offlexible tape or the like adhesively fastened onto the tube 10 adjacentthe end 15 thereof and having a small trailing portion 34 which has aneffect upon the rotary motion and positioning of the sound-producingslot with respect to ambient atmosphere during swinging motion of theentire device as shown in FIG. 4 whereby to alter the interruption rateby stopping all sound at certain intervals by reason of the changedorientation of the sound-producing slot 19 with respect to the directionof swinging movement of the entire device as shown in FIG. 4.

The effective shortening of the slot 19 also alters the pitch of theemitted sound.

FIG. 5 illustrates in fragmentary form a very slight modification of theinvention and similar portions will be indicated by the same referencenumerals followed by the letter A. In this modification, the encirclingmeans 33A does not have a fluttering trailing edge similar to that shownat 34 in FIG. 1, and, therefore, no directional guiding effect duringswinging movement of the device as shown in FIG. 4 occurs in thismodification of the invention.

It should be understood that the mode of attachment of thesatellite-simulating member 16 is such as to positively prevent it frombecoming detached from the sound-producing element 10 during swingingmovement of the device. However, it should also be noted that while thefigures illustrate certain preferred forms of the invention, the

' satellite-simulating member 16 may be eliminated in certain formsthereof. This is also true of the encircling means 33 and 33A. It shouldalso be noted that the mode of construction of the device may bemodified substantially from the particular forms illustrated.

It should also be noted that the tensile means 21 may be elastic or maybe of a non-elastic nature.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention willoccur to those skilled in the art after a careful study hereof. Allsuch, properly within the basic spirit and scope of the presentinvention are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fullyas if specifically described, illustrated, and claimed herein.

The exact compositions, configurations, constructions, relativepositionings, and cooperative relationships of the various componentparts of the present invention are not critical, and can be modifiedsubstantially within the spirit of the present invention.

The embodiments of the present invention specifically described andillustrated herein are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the lightof the prior art and the appended claims only, with due considerationfor the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

1. A sound-producing toy adapted to be whirled through ambientatmosphere by a child and to produce an intermittent audible sound as aresul-tthereof, comprising: a hollow longitudinal sound-producingelement defining a longitudinal hollow interior chamber therein, saidsoundproducing element consisting of a longitudinal cylindrical sectionof a tube substantially closed at each end; a member simulating aman-made satellite carried by said soundproducing element; said elementbeing provided with a portion defining sound-producing longitudinal slotmeans into said hollow chamber along substantially the entire lengththereof at one side thereof; and a flexible longitudinal tensile meanshaving a connection porton subs'tantially longitudinally alignedlyconnected to said sound-producing element whereby to mount saidsoundproducing element for rotation around a longitudinal axiscoincident with said connection portion and said flexible longitudinaltensile means, with said flexible longitudinal tensile means also havinga free manually graspable portion adapted for use by a child in swingingsaid soundproducing element transverse to its longitudinal directionthrough ambient atmosphere whereby to cause rapid relative motion ofsaid ambient atmosphere with respect to said portion of saidsound-producing element defining said sound-producing slot means andwith respect to said hollow chamber for producing an intermittentaudible sound.

2. A sound-producing toy adapted to be whirled through ambientatmosphere by a child and to produce an intermittent audible sound as aresult thereof, comprising: a hollow longitudinal sound-producingelement defining a longitudinal hollow interior chamber therein, saidsoundproducing element consisting of a longitudinal cylindrical sectionof a tube substantially closed at each end; a member simulating aman-made satellite carried by the outer end of said sound-producingelement and defining a junction therewith; said element being providedwith a portion defining sound-producing longitudinal slot means intosaid hollow chamber along substantially the entire length thereof at oneside thereof; and a flexible longitudinal tensile member having aconnection end connected to said sound-producing element adj acentonesubstantially closed end thereof and extending axially longitudinallythrough the center of said sound-producing element and rotatably outthrough the substantially closed other end thereof, and having a freemanually graspable end adapted for use by a child in swinging saidsound-producing element transverse to its longitudinal direction throughambient atmosphere whereby to cause rapid relative motion of saidambient atmosphere with respect to said portion of saidsound-producingelement defining said sound-producing longitudinal slotmeans and with respect to said hollow chamber for producing anintermittent audible sound.

3. A device of the character defined in claim 2, including externalencircling means effectively reducing the overall open length of theportion of the sound-producing element defining the sound-producing slotpositioned at one end thereof.

4. A device of the character defined in claim 3, wherein said encirclingmeans is provided with an extension 6 comprising means modifying theeffect of rapid relative movement of ambient atmosphere upon thesound-producing element during whirling motion thereof.

5. A sound-producing toy simulating in appearance a man-made earthsatellite and adapted to be Whirled in a manner simulating the path oftravel of a man-made earth satellite in orbit and adapted to produce anintermittent audible sound as a result thereof simulating theintermittent audibly reproduced signal received by radio from theman-made earth satellites, comprising: a hollow longitudinalsound-producing element defining a longitudinal hollow interior chambertherein, said sound-producing element consisting of a longitudinalcylindrical section of a tube provided at one end with a longitudinallycentrally apertured closure plug; a member simulating a man-madesatellite carried by the other end of said sound-producing element anddefining a junction therewith; said element being provided with aportion defining sound-producing longitudinal slot means into saidhollow chamber along substantially the entire-length thereof at one sidethereof; and a flexible elastic longitudinal tensile member having aconnection end effectively connected to said sound producing element bymeans of a direct connection to said satellite-simulating member carriedby said other end of said sound producing element, said tensile memberextending from said direct connection to said satellite-simulatingmember axially longitudinally through the center of said sound-producingelement and rotatably out through the longitudinally centrally aperturedclosure plug at the opposite end of said soundproducing element, andhaving a free manually graspable end adapted for use by a child in,swinging said soundproducing element transverse to its longitudinaldirection and transverse to the longitudinal direction of saidlongitudinal slot means through ambient atmosphere whereby to causerapid relative motion of said ambient atmosphere with respect to saidportion of said soundproducing element defining said sound-producinglongitudinal slot means and with respect to said hollow chamber forproducing an intermittent audible sound.

6. A device of the character defined in claim 5, including externalencircling means effectively reducing the overall open length of theportion of the sound-producing element defining the sound-producing slotpositioned at one end thereof.

7. A device of the character defined in claim 6, wherein said encirclingmeans is provided with an extension comprising means modifying theeffect of rapid relative movement of ambient atmosphere upon thesound-producing element during "whirling motion thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS140,206 Lee June 24, 1873 258,381 Converse May 23, 1882 293,394 AlbrechtFeb. 12, 1884 477,904 Lawson June 28, 1892 1,032,604 Hill July 16, 19121,241,000 Mulvey Sept. 25, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,287 Great Britain1896 383,955 France Jan. 22, 1908 259,487 Switzerland Sept. 1, 19491,109,355 France Sept. 21, 1955

